Railway signaling and safety system and apparatus.



. 1 246. RAILWAY SWITCHES & S1GNALS.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1904.

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PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. G. M. SCHREIBER. RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED NOV.15, 1904.

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No. 820,143. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

G. M. SGHREIBBR. RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1904.

13 SHBETSSHEET 4 24$.RA1LWAY3WWQHES & SIGNALS.

No. 820,143. PATBNTED MAY 8, 190.6

G. M. SGHREIBBR. RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOH FILED NOV. 15, 1904.

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No. 820,143. PAT-ENTED MAY 8, 1906.

G. M. SGHRBIBER. RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16, 1904.

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PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETYSYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED,NOV.15, 1904.

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No. 820,143. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

G. M. SCHREIBER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. APPLICATION IILED- NOV. 15, 1904.

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No. 820,143. v PATENTED MAY 8, 1906- G. M. SC-HREIBER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 3011.15. 1904.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1904.

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246. RAILWAY SWITCHES & SIGNALER No. 820,143. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. G. M. SCHREIBBR.

RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1904.

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RAILWAY SWiTCHES & SIGFLELEv PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

G. M. SGHREIBBR.

RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 170V. 16, 1904.

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RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 15, 1904.

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ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF 4 i GEoReEaMroHEL's HREI ER. OF ROUBAIIL FBANGE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING AND SAFETY SYSTEM ANDA-PARATUS.

' No. 820,143. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 8, 1906. 3"

Application filed November 15, 1904. Serial No. 232,821.

To all whom it may concern; an elevation of the contact apparatus. Fig. Be it known that I, GEORGES MICHEL Qisaplan viewof the same. Fig.3isadetail SGHREIBER, a citizen of the Republic of view of the disk employed in said apparatus. France, and a resident of Roubaix, France, Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through 5 have invented new and useful Improvements the contact device. Fig. 5.is a vertical long in or Relating to Railway Signaling and gitudinal section thereof. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 T Safety Systems and Apparatus, which im- -are vertical transverse sections showing the i provements are fully set forth in the followparts in diflerent positions. Fig. 9 is a side v 5 ing specification.- elevation of the stop device and signal.

- to This invention relates to improvements in Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the same. Fig.- "i .the electric signaling system for railways set 11 is a plan view. Figs. 12 and 13 areviews i forthin Letters Patent No. 558,806, which similar to i s. 9 and 10, the arts being were granted to me on October-2,1900. shown in di erent positions. *ig. 1'4 is a The characteristicfeatures of this inven- View similar to Fig. 11, but showing; the [sf/I011 will appear from the following descripparts in different positions. Figs.- 15 and 15 tion Q i 7 show diagrammatically the arrangement of The improved apparatus, as has already the protection"mechanism along a line he- -been explained n the said previous patent, tween two stations A and B, between'which has for its object to prevent automatically the trains travel in the direction of'the arrow. 2o collisions .which mi ht take place between The whole comprises a departure signal 1 trains traveling in a 1 directions on railwaystation, (station A.,) an arrival signal-sta- .lines: To that end the line is divided be- 'tion, (station B,) and two intermediate sig "tween the statio wf ons by rial-stations. Normally the lampso'f the sig. 7 Q means of contiEt ap ara usnoommunicating rial-stations are set against the trains with 89 withmhiothfi'ffith-t e11; protective stops. the stops raised; but the intermediate signal- These stopsjafiangdhetween thefiail s'fiire stations are not necessary for everyinstalla- '1 connectecf t als, such as lamps, tion. V 1 'inwhich an incandescent lamplsplaced I In the station A the station-master'wishing EI J dgIaSs. T In 'dan er position the stop to give the signal for the departure eta-train J raised, and the disk s owing a red light moves the switch a which'was on' the confaces the direction from whichthe; trains ar-- tact.3, and places it on hefcontact 4. If the rive, whereas when in the safety position the line'is clear,- electric current supplied byan out sto is lo wered and the lamp extinguished side source-say, by a-storage battery-will and turned in; the direction parallel to the pass through the coil 8 whereupon the core 90. 'line. When a train pas' sesv ,over one of the of the electromagnet s is attractedand the f contact apparatus, it sets the signals in front balance-weight G raised, the stop X lowered amafetyfi1o31tpfiie1agapissa'eiforjits elf, and the disk Z set at safety or f line clear. atfthefs ametimeauto aticallyjbIq ck A the The current from the battery passes then stop and amp through the points 1, 2, a 4, 5, 6, d; e, 7 8, 8,, 5

' whicli' 'it has passed. Thisprotective deand 9. The departure-signal having-been vice cannot be set at s'afetyii :by another given,.the train enters the first section-switch, train until after the first" train has" left that ing in by the, passage of the engine thconsection. If, for any reason,.the driver -of a= tact apparatus I. This is the first automatic train arriving at a blocked section passes operation. As soon as the mercury-contact [00 .over the stop without noticing the stoppi has. been closed by this switching in, the cure signal, thelstop cisnhpmeans ofmta hiie rent passes into the electromagnet s ,'its core r mechanisn'fon the whistle of theengin e, and 'm is attracted, and the first intermediate sig- Q thdsigi ves aiiilfiffiiiidyahthe sameitimeTit -nal-statipn is set. at SafetyJ: At thelsame H aidts'goni thedirake so as =to?stop:the train; --timethef contact between themercury-cups d 50 -fi'II1i0thadrrarigenir1t according to thistutand e; of the commutator having beenzint'err prerupted the current-which held 'thezdepartu're under itheicpntro o The s tion- -..-signal'-station locked-is cut ofi, and-thissigh.1$; fitlllfigi nji ed 'mal s'tati0n is automatically set at danger? 11; jitf'aiizbead pted'awhi retai -sigma bynthe action. of the balance-weightG.a TM' Ire I 55 in, 'rgnilsl loyal; mi'l '23 3: 'lamptis therforetturnedltransverselys'ofrme 3.? mtheiafccoinpan ."ngfdrawnigsFignre' imeiaridithe stop aaisedta 'Bythisioperafibfi the train has blocked the line behind it and opened for itself a passage in front. At the same time the current passes through a relay R at the station-master's end, and by ,the contact takingplace at the commutator a bell K is caused to ring and notifies the stationmaster that the train to which he gave the signal of departure has already passed the departure-signal and that the apparatus I has been switched in. He must then replace the switch or lever u on the contact 4, whereupon the bell stops ringing. Any operation of the said lever for the purpose of giving passage to a new train would remain unsuccessful as long as the bell rings. Moreover, the station-master would not be able to set the departure-signal at safety as long as the train has not passed the contact apparatus II. At that moment, owing to the movement of the lever T of the mercury-commutatorpf the apparatus II, the electromagnet s is operated, its core m attracts the slide-block 1),, which releases the switchingin lever, the lever T swings about its pivot, and the apparatus I is switched out and returns to the position of rest. The first intermediate signal is set at danger, owing to the current in the electromagnet s being cut OE and the balance-weight G becoming operative. Finally, the current would act to set the second intermediate signal at safety, which would be efiected if no train occupied the portion of the line in front of the contact apparatus III. In Figs. 15 and 15 it is, however, assumed that the said apparatus III is still locked.- Owing to this arrangement no current can pass, the circuit of the electroma et 8 being open on account of the position 0 the lever T of the commutator of the contact apparatus III, and the second intermediate signal remains at danger. On approaching the engine-driver finds, therefore, the line blocked and must stop, otherwise the train will be automatically stopped by the stop X, which is raised and which on coming 1n contact with a slide-block of the locomotive operates the whistle and opens the air-outlet valve of the Westinghouse brake on the engine. The train is stopped as long as the preceding train has not passed the departure apparatus IV, and so on. By the switching in of the apparatus III the second intermediate signal is set at danger, while current is sent into the relay It of the station B, and owing to the contact thus produced between the cups 0 and 1' of this relay the bell K is caused. to ring, thus notifying the station-master that a train is approaching to be admitted into the station B. He then turns the handle 71, onto the contact 32 and thus sets at safety the arrival-signal of the station B. The engine passes this signal and turns down the lever of the contact apparatus IV, which switches out the apparatus III, the bell K? stops ringing, and the station master turns the handle 'uF'back to the contact 31. This contact apparatus (shown in Figs. 1 to 8 mounted on a cast-iron plate) is fixed direct to the sleepers without any other foundation. Its mechanism arranged between two brackets M and M comprises a disk 44 in one piece with a spindle I, to the end of which is secured a lever g. This disk 44 is provided on one side with a sector 45, which fits into a drum or block s, and on the other side with a tappet w, adapted to strike a projection 0, as shown in Fig. 4. A fiat spring 50, Figs. 2, 4, and 5, connected to a chain51, holds the said disk 44, with the lever 70 g, in vertical position, Fig. 1. The drum 8, the spindle h of which engages on one side in the partly tubular shaft I and on the other side in a bearing in the bracket M, is held in its normal position by the action of its spring 1, Figs, 1, 6, 7, and 8, and'of its sector 46, resting against the sector 45 of the disk 44. To the drum .9 are secured projections or fingers 55 and 3. The finger 55, with the hook 30, constitutes switch ng-in gear for the apparatus. This hook 30 is maintained'in one position by the action of its spring 29 and of As soon as an engine passing by a contact apparatus causes its operating-bar to slide over the head of the lever is 9 it gradually turns down the said. lever, which in its movement turns the disk 44. The sector 45 moves, and in cooperation with the sector 46 turns the drum 8, which assumes the position shown in Fig. 7. The finger or lug 55 has become engaged under the hook 30 and is held thus under the action of the springs Z and 29. The finger or lug 3 havin also moved the arm 102 of the lever T has been turned, thus bringing the copper pins of the plate 4 into the mercury-cups a b c. The cup a belng con nected to the source of electricity, circuits starting from the cups 1) and c are then closed at that moment. At the same time asthe arm 102 of the lever T sinks the arm 103, with its plate 5, rises and interrupts electric communication between the cups (1 and 6. After the switching in of the contact apparatus the lever is 9 under the action of the spring 50, connected to the disk 44 by the chain 51, resumes its vertical position as soon as the operating-bar of the engine has released 1t.

The contact apparatus after hav1ng once been switched in cannot be switched out eX- cept by the passage of the train to a secondapparatus. If by any chance a tram had-to -;;action of its .tail end provided with a balanceits-protected sections remaining. blocked all --the time: -It will-also be seen from Figs. 7 and 8 how the armature m of the electro- "ma net E is connected,-by means ofachain,

-- r .wit a-switchingiout block 40 and how; the

. their initialspring 17 cuit'of the. electromagnet E of the first appar'atus is closedand-the armature m attracted.@'.The slide-block ,withits rojecleasesthe finger of the drum s, which re- I turns to its original pos tion under the action of its spring 1. The finger 3', following the arm .100 and turns the le veriT, which thus resumes its .original position. The contact between the mercury-cups g, be is thus inter- X rupted and the contact between. the on s d 5.

- E resume their original positions under the action'of the spring- 17, as soon as the current net E, using aicurrent of 0.80 amperes a'tja 6o plan the whole of a protective mechanism .by the passage of the tra n to the next appa:

the prot'ectivetube for the spindle 32,which= 5 sheath protecting the rack o thestop-20 tagainst 'snow anddust. For setting. at safet these protective mechanisms which norma 1y are set at danger and switchedioutli lam 54 are arranged with their electromag net ,go back to a switched-map aratus by backing, its operatin -ba r would merel turn the pivoted lpartfk o the double lever g, which would not in any way aflect the mechanism of the apparatus, and that part In would at once resume its yertical position under the Weight. It will thus be seen from Fig. .7 that a-train'once having thrown theaplparatus into gear can move :on the hne in' hot directions,

armature and t e;- slide block are heldin position, by the action of the llhe releasing .of the apparatus is effected ratus or section. ;At that, moment the cirtion' 58, moves under-the pivoted tai 2 7 of the hook;30", and: the latter. swings and removment of the drum 8, acts on the short andc reestablished, Fig. 8 ..-The sli de,-b ock 40! :and the armature 'm of the electromagnet in the electromagnet E: interruptedby the As already statedpthe line isprotected by the effects of whichon the engine are already tective mechanisms, but without their protective metal casings. The same-applies to controls "the disk and the sto and to'the only forthe passage-of trains an electromag pressure of one hundred and ten volts, serves; as ,a motor. y f

Figs. 9, 10, and 1 1 show in elevation and in set at -danger.- The stop 20" and the diskon a cast-iron plate, which'i's bolted to f the sleepers.- These two parts are o erated by a spindle 32, passingunder the rar This the other hand, by means of bevelinions 123- and 124, the vertical spindle of t e disk 54:. Moreover, a second grooved pulley 41 is keyed to the spindle 32 and carries a balance-weight G. The travel of the armature m of the electromagnet is five centimeters and is limited by a sto g, which slides in the groove n, as shown in ig. 1.1. By the action of the balance-Weight G the disk 54and the stop 20 are maintained at the dangerpositions. The disk is turned with its red face at right angles to the line and the stop 20 between the rails is held raised to the extent of five centimeters.

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 show in elevation and in plan a protective mechanism set at safety. The passage of a train to the respective contact apparatus which had been switched in, closes the circuit of the electromagnet E. The armature m is then attracted and turns the spindle 32, to whichit is connected. The balance-weight G is raised, the ,sto 20 lowered, and the disk 54 turned parailel to the line. Every protective mechanism remains then in that position until the train has comdirection of the arrow from the station A to' the station B. Beside the departure-signal at the station A and the arrival-signal at the station B there are also two intermediate signal-stations, As already stated, all the signal-stations are normally set at danger,

and the train itself operates the intermediate signal-stations, while for the switching out the arrival or de arture signals at the stations the stafi of the station is obliged to act, and to thatendthereare provided in the stations handles which are operated b the staff only, In the station A'there is t e handle '11., for the departure-signal and at the station "B thehandle u,- for the arrival-station. As

regards motive power for operating the whole system, each station must be provided with a along the line on telegraph-poles, the contact apparatus and the protective mechanisms being arranged in shunt-circuit on the said l1ne IIO source of electricity, which for the station A wires. It may be taken that the consumption of electricity for the working of such installation will amount to two amperes at one causes the armature'm and twenty volts, and electric energy 'willzbe expended only when a train is situated in the protection-section between the two stations. If a train has to leave the station A in order to go to the station B, the station-master will move the handle it, from the contact 3 to the contact 4. At that moment (provided there is no other train in the first section) an electric current will pass in shunt-circuit through the coil 8, of. the departure-si al in the following manner: Commg from t e battery it passes through line Z 1 2 u, 4 5 6 into the mercury-cups d and e of the contact apparatus I, thence through the line 7 and 8 into the coil s,, and returns to the battery through 9 and 1,. This current of the electromagnet s, to be attracted. The balance-weight G is raised, the stop X lowered, and the disk Z set at safetythat is to say, parallel to the line. that moment thefirst protection section which has become free and travel the distance, passing to the app'aratus' I, which it switches in..

As soon as the lever T of the commutator is in the contact position III two circ 'ts are closed, starting'from' the cups 6- and c in the following manner:

(a) Starting from the line l, at 10 the current passes through 11 12, the cups a b of the switched-in a paratus I, line 13 14 and the two'cups d an e of the contact apparatus II, line 1516 into the coil 8, of the first.inter"- mediate signal-station and returns through 17 to the wire Z The armature is attracted, as has been described for the departure-signal, and the first intermediate signal set at safety.

(6) Starting also-from 1 0 on the wire Z, the current passes through 11 and 12, cups a and a, line 18- 19,.through the coil of relay R,, and returns thence" to 20- on the return-wire 1,. The armature of this relay is attracted, and the contact-points establish contact between the mercury-cups o and r. In this way the battery-circuit of the bell K,,.- arranged in the office of the station, is'closed. The bell rin and notifies the station-master that the tram to which he has given passage has-passed beyond the departure-signal and switched the a paratus I and that he must replace the hand e u, from the contact 4 to the contact 3.

Owing to the switching in of the contact ap aratus I the contact between the cups (2 and e of that apparatus is interru ted and that between the cups 0, b c establis ed. At that moment, the current no Ion er arriving at the coil 8,, the departure-sigma under the influence of its balance-weight G, returns to the-danger position, thus protecting the train in the first protection-section.

By referenceto the diagram in Fi s. 15 and 1'5 it will be readily understood t at after the train has passed the contact apparatus II- ofthe first intermediate signal-station, the

The train can therefore enter atsecond intermediate signal will have been set at safety, while, owing to the interruption of the contact between the cups (2 and e of the apparatus II, the first intermediate-signal will be returned to danger. Moreover, the current passin .throu h the cup 0 of the ap para-tus II wil pass t ough 21 22 into the coil- 8, of the electromagnet connected with the slide-block 1),, returning to the wire Z through the line 23. The armature is attracted, and with it the slide-block 19,, which, as already stated, switches out this apparatus I. The electric currentpassing through the cups a I) c is cut off, so that the electromagnet of the relay R, becomes inoperative. The relay R,, under the action of its spring f,, resumes its normal position, and the ell K, ceases to ring. The stationmaster is thus notified that the train has entered the second protective-section. At that moment the station-mastercou'ld therefore allow a second train to follow by movin again the handle-u,so as to set at safety the departure-Si nal, which was impossibleas long as the st train had notpassed beyond the contact apparatus I of the first intermediate signal-station, since the" contact apparatus I, being switched in, the circuit of the electromagnet s, was interrupted at the cups (1 and e.

Figs. 15 and 15 clearly show the position of the whole series of signal-stations and con tact apparatus due to the passage of a train which started from the station A and passed the contact apparatus III. This apparatus III is switched in. Its lever T has established contact between the cups a, b, and c and interrupted the contact between the cups (1 and e. Owing to this the current passing through the coil s is alsointerrupted and the second intermediatesi nalremains at danger. Current arriving t ough thebranch- 25- of the wire Z, through 26 27 a b 2829 passes through the coil of the relay R and returns'through 30 to the wire 1 The contact in the rela R, is established, and the circuit of the befi K,- of the station B is closed, This bell K,, which begins to ring at that moment, notifies the station-master that a train is approachmg the arrival-signal. Provided there is no r 15 ot er train in the station, which is the case shown in the diagram, since the contact apparatus IV is shown in its normal position, the station-master in order to'set at safety the arrival-signal will move'his handle 11? from 1'20 the contact 31 to the contact 32. The current will then pass from 33 through u,, 32, 34, 35, d, and e of the contact apparatus'IV and through 36, 37, 38, into the coil 8, of the arrival-signal and return through39'tothe line'- [-25 Wire 1,. The armature m, of the electromagnetis attracted and'sets the signal at safety.- From the branch 25 of the line-wire Z, the current passes through 26' 27 a c 40 41' into the coils -of the: apparatus II, and passes I 30.

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820,143 H a" i 5' through to the wire l,. The armature m which is then attracted, and the releasing or switching-out block 1), then cause the engagement-hook of the apparatus II to swing and to come into its initial position. If, on the contrary, a train had preceded that just mentioned and was still in the station, the arrival-signal could not be set at safety, even if by an error the station-master moved the handle u from- 31 to 32. In that case the contact apparatus IV, switched in by the first train having interrupted the contact between the cups d and e, the current would be unable to pass to the coil 8 of the arrival-signal, which therefore will remain at danger. On continuing to travel, the train switches in the contact apparatus IV, whereby the contact a paratus III is switched out, and the arriva -signal at the station brought back to danger. The bell K ceases to ring and the armature m,, as well as the block 12, of the contact apparatus II, come into their original position under the influence of the spring.

' The contact apparatus IV is switched out by the contact apparatus of the departure-block, as at the station B or, in the event of the train going into a siding, by a contact apparatus placed for that purpose at the said siding. The preceding description shows, therefore, that at no moment and by no false maneuver could two trains arrive in the same protection-section. A collision between two trains is therefore quite impossible, even if one or the other of the wires should break or if for any reason the supply of current should suddenly fail. The only result would be a delay in the passage of trains, but never a collision. It will also be seen from Fi s. 15 and 15 that the incandescent lamps o the disks of the arrival and departure signals can be lighted by means of the handles a, and an, as well as by the trains, and the intermediate signalstations are lighted by the switching in of the apparatus during the whole time that a train remains in the section in which it is blocked.

The described safety ap aratus for railwaylines can have many app cations and is specially important for crossings and stations with'largte trafiic and for sidings, for the system can e arranged so that blocking and unblocking can be efiected automatically by the trains without the assistance of any attendant on the train or on the line.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In an electric signaling system for railways, a track divided between stations into a number of blocks by signals which are normally maintained in position to indicate danger, electrical devices for shifting said signals to safety position, a train-operated contact device in each block, the contact device of the block in which the station is included being normally included in the circuit of the signalshifting device of that blogk but cut off when said contact device isoperated by the train, and a switch in the station also included in the circuit of said signal-shifting device.

2. In an electric signaling system for railways, a line divided into a number of blocks and having a signal in each block, said signals b'eing normally maintained in position to indicate danger, electrical devices for shifting said signals to safety position, a train-operated contact device in each block and normally included in the circuit of the signal in the same block, but opening said circuit and thereby permitting the signal to shift back to danger when said contact device is operated by a train, a relay device in the station the circuit of which is closed by the contact device in the station-block in being so operated, and a station-signal actuated by said relay.

3. In an electric signaling system for railways, a line divided into blocks by a plurality of signals normally set to indicate danger, electrically-operated means to shift each signal to a position to indicate safety, a contact device in each block and each'embodying: an intermediately-pivoted lever adapted to be rocked by the train, three contacts carried at one end of said lever and in electrical connection with each other, two contacts carried at the opposite end of said lever and in electrical connection with each other, but not with said first-mentioned contacts, fixed contacts to 006 erate with all of said movable contacts, an means for normally maintaining said two movable contacts in engagement with-their correspondingfixed contacts electrical means for returning said lever to normal position after actuation by the train, a main circuit, an electrical connectionbetween one of said three fixed contacts and said circuit, a connection between another of said set of three contacts in the same contact device and one of the fixed contacts of the contact device in the block in advance, an electrical connection between the third of said three contacts and the electrical returning means of the contact device at the immediate rear and also with said main circuit, an electrical connection between one of said two fixed contacts in each contact device with the signal-operating device in the same block and also with the main circuit, and an electrical connection between the second of said two fixed contacts in each contact device with one of the set of three contacts of the contact device in the preceding block.

4. In an electric signaling apparatus for railways, a plurality of signals arrangedalong the track and normally set to indicate danger, electrically-operated means to shift each signal to a position to indicate safety, a trainoperated contact device in each block, the contact device of the station-block being nornal in the block in advance is switched in and moved to indicate safety.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses GEORGES MICHEL SCHREIBER. Witnesses: Y

EMILE LEDRET, ARGHIBALD R. BAKER. 

